NFL Player News

James (ribs) will not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Titans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

James fractured his rib in late July and has still not recovered from the issue. Once healthy, the running back will have a chance to earn complementary work behind Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed), though as long as McCaffrey is available this season, he'll be busy, leaving limited touches for his backups. With fellow RB Kaelon Black (thigh) also not participating in Thursday's game, Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick, Khalil Herbert and Zamir White are on hand to absorb Thursday's carries in an effort to climb a depth chart littered with injuries before cutdown day.

Montgomery (undisclosed) reverted to injured reserve with the Patriots on Thursday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Montgomery suffered an undisclosed injury at training camp with New England, and he was waived with an injury designation Wednesday. After going unclaimed while on waivers, he will now miss the entirety of the 2026 season while on IR unless he is able to reach an injury settlement with the Patriots.

Miller is in contention for the Patriots' No. 3 running back role, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Lead candidate Terrell Jennings (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, increasing Miller's odds of securing the No. 3 role. Miller has been battling Lan Larison for second-team reps in training camp, and both players, along with Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty, will continue to compete for the opportunity to serve as the primary backup to the top duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

Larison is part of the competition for the No. 3 running back role, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are the Patriots' unquestioned top two backs, and Terrell Jennings (undisclosed) was the favorite for the primary depth role before being placed on injured reserve Thursday. Jennings' misfortune boosts Larison's chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster, and he'll have to continue to battle Jam Miller, Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty.

Brooks isn't suited up for Thursday's preseason game in Pittsburgh.

Brooks will join Josh Jacobs (groin) on the sideline for the Packers' exhibition opener, leaving some combination of MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong, Damien Martinez and Jaden Nixon to man the backfield. Brooks' absence Thursday may stem from the hamstring injury that kept him on the active/PUP list until this past Sunday. In any case, he'll have two more chances to mix into a preseason contest as he vies with Lloyd for the No. 2 RB role behind Jacobs.

Johnson (knee) did not participate in Thursday's practice, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Johnson exited Saturday's practice early with a knee injury and has not returned to the field since. Thursday marks the running back's fourth consecutive missed practice, and there does not appear to be a return date in sight. If Johnson's knee injury is severe, the Bills could be waiting for cutdown day to place him on injured reserve with a designation to return during the regular season.

Marks isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Marks is slated to be among key Texans skill-position players that won't suit up for the team's exhibition opener. Fellow RB and offseason addition David Montgomery also is on that list, and with Jawhar Jordan (hip) and British Brooks (hand) dealing with injuries, Houston's backfield may be populated by just Noah Whittington, Josh Pitsenberger and Owen Wright on Thursday. As a fourth-round rookie last season, Marks notched 196 carries for 703 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in 24 of 36 targets for 208 yards and three more TDs in 16 regular-season games, and while he'll still see his share of touches in 2026, his workload could take a hit with Montgomery on board.

Jennings (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Jennings will miss the entire season as a result of his placement on IR. He had been the favorite to secure the third spot on New England's running back depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. That spot will now go to one of Lan Larison, Jam Miller, Hassan Haskins or the newly signed JaMycal Hasty, unless the Patriots add another backfield option.

Allen has seen an uptick in pass-catching opportunities during training camp, which could lead to an expanded receiving role during the regular season, Josh Shipley of SI.com reports.

Allen excelled in pass protection as a rookie, but the 2025 seventh-round pick saw only 23 rushing attempts and 11 targets during the 2025 regular season. He was a productive pass catcher at Syracuse, notching 64 receptions in 2024. Allen could be ticketed for the majority of opportunities in passing situations while Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez split early-down work.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday that Mafah and Jaydon Blue will both "get a ton of work" during the preseason and that they are "in a heated battle" for the top backup spot behind Javonte Williams, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Blue was listed ahead of Mafah on the team's initial depth chart, but both second-year pros will have a chance to make their respective cases for the backup role during the preseason. Williams is locked in atop the depth chart after rushing for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games during the 2025 campaign, while both Blue and Mafah appear to have leapfrogged Malik Davis in the pecking order at running back.